IMMIGRATION is a boon for the economy and higher levels of ethnic diversity can actually improve social cohesion, the Adam Smith Institute will argue today.

In a new report published today, the free-market think tank has sought to tackle head-on the contentious issue of immigration and its effects on Britain’s social fabric. Looking at London-focused research, the institute found that where economic deprivation is controlled for, higher levels of ethnic diversity actually have a positive effect on measures of social cohesion.

It concludes that higher levels of diversity only lead to a slight negative impact on generalized trust within UK communities; however, there is virtually no evidence to suggest that diversity undermines other measures of social cohesion, including civic participation, trust in authority and volunteer work in the UK. Furthermore, the paper finds that if other factors are controlled for – including neighborhood status and economic deprivation – the negative relationship between diversity and cohesion often disappears.